1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and a method for controlling a display in a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for controlling a display in an external display device in a mobile terminal having a function of outputting an image to the external display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Interest in a digital broadcasting service for allowing a user to watch a digital broadcast while moving has increased as digital broadcasting and mobile communication technologies have evolved. Concurrently, a paradigm of the broadcasting service has been changed from the broadcasting service having a passive concept in which the user only passively watches the broadcast to the broadcasting service having an active concept in which the user identifies information on a cost of a product shown in the broadcast and purchases the product while directly watching the broadcast.
Interest in a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) service using a mobile terminal has also increased. The DMB service overcomes spatial and temporal limitations in watching the broadcast, but is not suitable for the broadcast simultaneously watched by several people due to screen size limitations. Accordingly, there have been increased releases of mobile terminals having a function of outputting a signal to a large sized display device, such as a TV.
A current mobile terminal having a Television (TV) out function can output a video such as a broadcast displayed through a screen of the mobile terminal to an external display device. Accordingly, the user can watch the broadcast through a larger sized screen by outputting image data downloaded from a web server or photographed by a camera to the external display device. Examples of advanced mobile terminals having the TV out function include a Wi-Fi Display (WFD) and an airplay mirroring.
For example, WFD refers to a technology in which a small sized screen of a mobile terminal 100 interworks with an external display device such as a TV 110 and then the same screen as that of the mobile terminal 100 is wirelessly displayed in the TV as illustrated in FIG. 1. When a user input is performed through the mobile terminal screen 100, a current screen is switched to a screen corresponding to the user input. The screen of the TV 110 is switched to the same screen as that of the mobile terminal 100.
However, the same image as the image on the mobile terminal screen is located in the center of the TV screen. Accordingly, while the same image as the image on the mobile terminal screen is displayed on an entire TV screen when a screen direction of the mobile terminal is horizontal, the remaining parts except for the center of the TV screen remain as empty spaces, as illustrated in FIG. 1, when the screen direction is vertical. That is, due to a difference between a screen size of the mobile terminal and a screen size of the TV, the empty spaces are generated on the TV screen as illustrated in FIG. 1.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for the user to be able to control a screen display of the external display device in displaying an image on the mobile terminal screen on the external display device, to enable the user to receive a more vivid and efficient image in comparison with using the mobile terminal.